KIA NIRO 2019 Owners Manual

817
Maintenance
✽ ✽NOTICE - NHTSA Safety
Corrosion Alert
NHTSA has warned all vehicle own-
ers of all brands that they must main-
tain their vehicles in a manner which
will prevent brake hose and brake line
failures due to corrosion when such
vehicles are exposed to winter road
salt and related chemicals. While seri-
ous corrosion conditions typically only
manifest themselves as safety issues
after 7 years of vehicle use, the corro-
sion process starts immediately and
thus underbody cleaning maintenance
must commence from your vehicle's
first exposure to road salts and chem-
icals. NHTSA urges vehicle owners to
take the following steps to prevent
corrosion:
(Continued)(Continued)
1. Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly throughout the
winter and do a thorough washing
in the spring to remove road salt
and other de-icing chemicals.
2. Monitor the brake system for signs of corrosion by having regu-
lar professional inspections and
watching for signs of problems,
including loss of brake fluid,
unusual leaks and soft or spongy
feel in the brake pedal.
3. Replace the entire brake pipe assembly if you find severe corro-
sion that causes scaling or flaking
of brake components.
Brake fluid
Check the brake fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. The level should
be between “MIN” and “MAX” marks
on the side of the reservoir. Use only
hydraulic brake fluid conforming to
DOT 3 or DOT 4 specification.
Parking brake
Inspect the parking brake system
including the parking brake pedal
and cables.
Brake discs, pads, calipers
and rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear,
discs for run out and wear, and
calipers for fluid leakage.

Maintenance
18
8
Exhaust pipe and muffler
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes,
muffler and hangers for cracks, dete-
rioration, or damage. Start the
engine and listen carefully for any
exhaust gas leakage. Tighten con-
nections or replace parts as neces-
sary.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine
off, check for excessive free-play in
the steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and dam-
age. When checking engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid,
always be sure to clean the area
around any filler plug, drain plug, or
dipstick before checking or draining
any lubricant or fluid. This is espe-
cially important in dusty or sandy
areas and when the vehicle is used
on unpaved roads. Cleaning the plug
and dipstick areas will prevent dirt
and grit from entering the engine and
other mechanisms that could be
damaged.
CHECKING FLUID LEVELS

819
Maintenance
ENGINE OIL
Checking the engine oil level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on levelground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reach normal operating tempera-
ture.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) for
the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully. 5. Pull the dipstick out again and
check the level. The level should
be between F and L.
If it is near or at L, add enough oil to
bring the level to F.Do not overfill.
Use a funnel to help prevent oil
from being spilled on engine com-
ponents.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 9.)
CAUTION - Replacing
engine oil
Do not overfill the engine oil. Itmay damage the engine.
WARNING- Radiator hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may
be hot enough to burn you.
ODE076002
■Gasoline Engine (Kappa 1.6L-GDI)
ODE076003
■Gasoline Engine (Kappa 1.6L-GDI)

Maintenance
20
8
Changing the engine oil and
filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized Kia dealer according
to the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
WARNING - Used engine
oil
Used engine oil may cause irrita-
tion or cancer of the skin if left in
contact with the skin for pro-
longed periods of time. Always
protect your skin by washing
your hands thoroughly with
soap and warm water as soon as
possible after handling used oil.

821
Maintenance
COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year: at
the beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.Checking the coolant level Turn the engine off and wait until itcools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the cool-
ing system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and
continue turning counterclockwise
to remove it.
Even if the engine is not operating, do not remove the radiator cap or
the drain plug while the engine and
radiator are hot. Hot coolant and
steam may still blow out under
pressure, causing serious injury.
The engine coolant and/or inverter
coolant level is influenced by the
hybrid system temperature. Before
checking or refilling the engine
coolant and/or inverter coolant,
turn the hybrid vehicle off.
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal injury
from escaping hot coolant or
steam.
CAUTION - Radiator cap
Never attempt to remove theradiator cap while the engine isoperating or hot. Doing somight lead to cooling systemand engine damage.

Maintenance
22
8
Engine coolant
Check the condition and connections
of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the coolant reservoir when
the engine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to MAX, but do not
overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.
Inverter coolant
The coolant level should be filled
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the coolant reservoir when
the engine is cool.
WARNING- Cooling fan
Use caution when
working near the
blade of the cooling
fan. The electric
motor (cooling fan) is
controlled by engine coolant
temperature, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed. it may
sometimes operate even when
the engine is not running.
ODE076005ODE076053
■Hybrid
ODEP077053
■Plug-in Hybrid

823
Maintenance
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to MAX, but do not
overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.Recommended coolant
When adding coolant, use onlydeionized water or soft water for
your vehicle and never mix hard
water in the coolant filled at the fac-
tory. An improper coolant mixture
can result in serious malfunction or
engine damage.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol
with phosphate based coolant to
prevent corrosion and freezing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the spec-
ified coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze. This would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution. For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage
(volume)
Antifreeze Water
5°F (-15°C)35 65
-13°F (-25°C)4060
-31°F (-35°C)5050
-49°F (-45°C)6040

Maintenance
24
8
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Make sure the coolant cap is proper-
ly closed after refill of coolant.
Otherwise the engine could be over-
heated while driving.
1. Check if the radiator cap label is
straight In front.WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure which may result in
serious injury.
■Inverter coolant reservoir cap (Hybrid)
■Engine coolant reservoir cap
ODE076004■Inverter coolant reservoir cap (Plug-in Hybrid)
ODEP077004
ODE076006
OQL075072
■ Engine room front view

825
Maintenance
2. Make sure that the tiny protru-sions inside the coolant cap
should be securely interlocked.
Changing the coolant
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized Kia dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric
around the radiator cap beforerefilling the coolant in order toprevent the coolant from over-flowing into engine parts suchas the generator.
ODE076007
■ Engine room rear view

Maintenance
26
8
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX (Maximum) and MIN
(Minimum) marks on the side of the
reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake fluid, clean the
area around the reservoir cap thor-
oughly to prevent brake fluid contam-
ination. If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX (Maximum) level. The level will
fall with accumulated mileage. This is
a normal condition associated with
the wear of brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 9.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
Brake fluid, which has been exposed
to open air for an extended time
should never be used as its quality
cannot be guaranteed. It should be
disposed of properly.
CAUTION - Brake fluid
Do not allow brake fluid to con-tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result.
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake fluid in brakesystem. Small amounts ofimproper fluids (such as engineoil) can cause damage to thebrake system.
ODE076008